Hurricane Isaias Strengthens to Category 3, Threatens Florida Panhandle
Residents on the U.S. Gulf Coast prepare for landfall as officials urge timely evacuation and securing of property.
Hurricane Isaias strengthened to a Category 3 storm Friday morning, prompting widespread preparations along the U.S. Gulf Coast, particularly in the Florida Panhandle.
Landfall is anticipated Friday between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. A hurricane warning is in effect from east of Biloxi, Mississippi, through Mobile and Pensacola, extending to Panama City and Mexico Beach, Florida. Many low-lying and coastal areas, especially on the Florida Panhandle, are under evacuation orders. Officials anticipate strong winds potentially reaching 120 mph in some locations.
Storm surge warnings are also active along the coast, with projections indicating surges of up to 9 feet from the Santa Rosa/Okaloosa County Line to Grayton Beach, Florida.
Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore urged residents of the Northwest Florida county, which includes Pensacola, to finalize their preparations. "Your time for prep is coming to an end very fast," Gilmore stated during a press conference Friday morning. "Make sure by this afternoon, by noon today, you're in your safe space."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emphasized the seriousness with which the state is treating the storm. "The resources have been flowing, the preparations have been extensive, and we are taking this storm very, very seriously," DeSantis said ahead of the anticipated landfall.